28 August 1997 Edition

Sinn Féin national chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin has called on the editors of the Irish News, News Letter and the Belfast Telegraph to gauge public opinion on the need for all parties to engage in negotiations on 15 September. He said they should offer their readers the opportunity to register their opinion in a telephone poll, something which these papers were quick to indulge in regarding demands for `peace' earlier this year. Free article

Saoirse has called on all former POWs and relatives to join a massive eve of talks rally at Belfast City Hall on Sunday 14 September. The rally will be preceded by marches from the Whiterock Road in West Belfast and Ardoyne and the New Lodge Road in North Belfast (full details in next week's An Phoblacht). Free article

The Basque international solidarity organisation Askapena, has completed its annual delegation to Ireland. The group included young people from across the Basque country bringing in cities like Bilbo, Donostia, Irrunea, in the Spanish state and Bayona in the French state and many villages across the whole country and they were in Ireland from 3 - 25 August. Focusing mainly on youth, the annual delegation sets out to provide delegates with a view of the political situation in Ireland. Free article

Despite the IRA ceasefire the RUC Special Branch is still actively recruiting informers. Evidence of this emerged this week when a young man from South Armagh contacted Sinn Féin and told of how he was asked to spy on local republicans. Free article